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Hugh of Lincoln (1246 – 27 August 1255) was an English boy whose death was falsely attributed to Jews. Hugh is sometimes known as Little Saint Hugh or Little Sir Hugh to distinguish him from Hugh of Lincoln, an adult saint. Hugh became one of the best known of the blood libel 'saints'; generally children whose deaths were interpreted as Jewish sacrifices. Little Sir Hugh was never canonised, so "Little Saint Hugh" is a misnomer; still, many local "saints" of the early medieval period were not formally canonised but were dubbed as and worshipped as saints by their contemporaries, and considered thus through the centuries.
It is likely that the Bishop and Dean of Lincoln steered events in order to establish a profitable flow of pilgrims to the shrine of a martyr and saint. The event is particularly significant because it was the first time that the Crown gave credence to ritual child murder allegations, through the direct intervention of King Henry III. As a result, in contrast to the other English blood libels, the story entered the historical record, medieval literature and popular ballads that circulated until the twentieth century.
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